The 2018 Western Japan Floods: Situation Report #1

Flood water is drying up but there are still pockets of stagnant water remaining. Photo: CWS

Massive amount of debris/garbage produced from the disaster. Photo: CWS

Health coordination meeting. Photo: CWS

‘The worst weather disaster in Japan since 1982’. Torrential rain in Japan that started in early July resulted to massive floods and landslides in more than 11 prefectures in Japan. So far, 214 deaths have been confirmed, at least 20 people are still missing, and around 5,000 people reside in evacuation centers across the prefectures.

Wide scale floods have terrified many, and have left ruins in town which the people need to clean up before thinking about any recovery efforts. The path to recovery is a challenging one, particularly when the activities are hindered by staggering summer heat which could go up to nearly 40 degrees Celsius. Debris, which has now dried up, is very difficult to scrape off, and volunteers are coming to help with the clean-up (but it is also a fight against dehydration).

One resident told ‘the experience was frightening and shocking, but we all need to work in solidarity if we are going to recover’. Assistance to create such sense of solidarity.

CWS Japan is responding through its partners; one of them is a medical NGO called HuMA, which deploys its doctors and nurses to evacuation centers. Additionally, HuMA staff are joining twice daily health cluster meetings with other health and medical organizations to ensure proper coordination of their activities, which CWS knows to be of vital importance among relief organizations during acute emergencies and disasters.

The immediate focus of our assistance will be to provide necessary health and hygiene support at evacuation centers, so that secondary disasters are avoided. The evacuees are going to stay in the evacuation centers for at least next few months, particularly until when schools re-open in early September, so the care to be provided during this time is critical. Furthermore, recovery efforts, such as clearing of debris in the homes, livelihood restoration, and assisting those who couldn’t make it to the evacuation centers needs swift support. At the same time, CWS Japan will also partner with academia in Japan to analyze DRR lessons which should be communicated from this disaster to both domestic and international stakeholders.

CWS Japan has launched emergency appeal of USD 300,000 with following breakdown and we would truly appreciate kind support and assistance from our friends and colleagues globally.